Innovative Breast Care is Saving the Lives of Women in Fayetteville, But What about the Men?

The Breast Care Center at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is going to help save and improve the lives of many women. As the son of a breast cancer survivor, I appreciate and understand how important these efforts are to breast cancer screening and treatment in Fayetteville. Nevertheless, I think about my father and two brothers. According to recent cancer statistics,1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 6 will have prostate cancer. To make matters worse, North Carolina has one of the highest rates of prostate cancer in the nation. Locally, Fayetteville Mayor J. L. Dawkins lost his repeated battle with prostate cancer in 2000. My only conclusion is that Fayetteville needs a companion Prostate Care Center for men.

A Prostate Care Center can help men be screened and treated for prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer can be treated with several different therapies. By counseling a person on all treatment options, the Center can help men and their families feel more confident in the treatment they receive.

While the Breast Care Center does a fantastic job with the uninsured, men do not have the same federal benefits as women do when it comes to prostate screening and treatment. The breast and cervical cancer program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) enables low to moderate-income women receive to screening and treatment for those cancers. The Breast Care Center is able to enroll uninsured women into the federal program and get them the diagnosis and treatment they might not have otherwise had. It may seem bleak men, but help is on the way.

Congress has introduced the Thomas J. Manton Prostate Cancer and Early Detection Act. Congressman Thomas J. Manton of New York passed away from prostate cancer in July of 2006. His act will extend those services provided for breast and cervical cancers to prostate cancer. It will be a large step towards getting men treated earlier for prostate cancer. As with any cancer, early detection and treatment saves lives.

Let us remember the lives of Mayor J. L. Dawkins and Congressman Thomas J. Manton by supporting the fight against prostate cancer. Let us encourage Cape Fear Valley Medical Center to start a companion Prostate Care Center for men. Moreover, let us support the Thomas J. Manton Early Detection and Treatment Act by calling on Congress to pass this crucial legislation. Finally, let us not forget our fathers, sons, brother, uncles and friends that may one day be diagnosed with prostate cancer.